You're delusional if you think trading for B.J. Upton would be "easy". The upside is enormous considering he was a #2 overall pick who posted an .892 OPS in his age 22 season. He's a better defender than Granderson, is cheaper (for now), is younger, and has far more upside.

A few Saturday night links to peruse.... The Braves' outfield trio pales in comparison to those of their division rivals, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter). O'Brien says the team is still trying to add another outfield bat. LoHud.com's Chad Jennings wo...

Here's a look at the multi-year deals teams handed out during the 2009 portion of the offseason. We're only including guaranteed multi-year deals for free agents. That means we're not counting one-year deals with club options (e.g. Juan Uribe), multi-year deals covering arbitration years (e.g. C...

Here's a look at the multi-year deals teams handed out during the 2009 portion of the offseason. We're only including guaranteed multi-year deals for free agents. That means we're not counting one-year deals with club options (e.g. Juan Uribe), multi-year deals covering arbitration years (e.g. C...

@masciob
Not that anyone actually asked you, but Keith Law is actually smarter than you. He's smarter than me as well. That said, he's paid to analyze the game, and if you expect everyone that gets paid to talk about baseball to be correct 100% of the time, you may as well not read this site, watch SportsCenter, etc. He's still right more than he is wrong.

Happy New Year everyone! Here are some links to close out 2009.. MLB.com's Marty Noble isn't buying into the talk suggesting that Jason Bay won't be able to hit home runs in Citi Field. Cubs GM Jim Hendry will come to regret signing Marlon Byrd, writes Keith Law of ESPN. Law says that while B...

Even considering the laid-back attitude of a good portion of the Dodger fanbase, I have to think that not keeping Kemp long-term would result in a huge public backlash. Of course by the time Kemp is a free agent, hopefully the club will have an owner willing to spend a bit.

The Dodgers have begun discussing a multi-year contract with Matt Kemp, writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. However, his agent Dave Stewart says that Kemp might prefer to go year-to-year via arbitration. Kemp is one of nine Dodgers eligible for arbitration this winter and one of five eligible for th...

Mike Bordick signed a one-year deal to become a minor league coach with the Orioles, according to Dan Connolly and Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. The former Oriole says he wants to emphasize situational hitting and "small ball." Baltimore's search for pitching has them interested in Cuban p...

I don't see where the Marlins would be desperate for a closer, as while he's not elite, Leo Nunez did okay in that role last year. Not only would he cost the Fish its first-round pick, but he'd take up far too much of their budget.

Jose Valverde and Juan Cruz have a lot in common. The two relievers were born within months of each other in the same country; they both pile up big strikeout totals; they even anchored Arizona's bullpen together for a couple seasons. Now Valverde's Type A status is limiting interest from potent...

If the Dodgers get a solid #4 like Pineiro or Harang, they're fine. They should get increased production as a whole from the young players, and I still don't see where the Rockies, Giants, and Dbacks have really improved.
I would have to respectfully disagree that a healthy Webb = Lincecum. The numbers speak for themselves.

Ever since the news of Frank and Jamie McCourt's divorce proceedings broke last October, Dodgers fans have been wondering (and dreading) if the ownership dispute would impact the team's operations. The first two months of the offseason have been quiet enough in L.A. to make it look like the Dod...

Ever since the news of Frank and Jamie McCourt's divorce proceedings broke last October, Dodgers fans have been wondering (and dreading) if the ownership dispute would impact the team's operations. The first two months of the offseason have been quiet enough in L.A. to make it look like the Dod...

Ever since the news of Frank and Jamie McCourt's divorce proceedings broke last October, Dodgers fans have been wondering (and dreading) if the ownership dispute would impact the team's operations. The first two months of the offseason have been quiet enough in L.A. to make it look like the Dod...

No patience to read 4 pages of Mets comments, but I'll just say that the Mets hit 49 homers at home and 46 on the road. Their opponents managed to hit 81 in Citi Field, a park that clocked in with a 1.057 HR park factor per ESPN.
"Shields and Carlos Pena to NYM
with
Ike Davis, Pelfrey, and/or Niese and a mid level prospect. if no to Niese then 2 prospects."
Why would the Rays do that? They give $7 million to a closer and then trade away a 1B good for a near-.900 OPS?
Sure, perhaps if the Rays are out of the race come July, but now?

The Mets signed left fielder Jason Bay to a four-year, $66MM deal with a vesting option for 2014 that could bring the total to $80MM over five years. The backloaded deal contains a $17MM option for '14 that vests if Bay reaches 600 plate appearances in 2013 or 500 in both 2012 and 2013. The de...

10:42pm: Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Holliday and the Cardinals are "working toward an agreement" that is "gaining momentum." Due to this progress, a deal is possible next week. Goold says multiple contract structures have been discussed - five guaranteed years with a hig...

Trust me Andrew, we know. It's hard to really determine with any confidence what the Dodgers' payroll was this year versus last when you factor in all the deferred money to Manny, Andruw Jones, Pierre, etc. That said, I find it hard to believe the Dodgers don't have the funds to sign a guy like Pineiro given all the deferred money to Manny and the Schmidt insurance payout last year.

The latest from Buster Olney's ESPN blog... Despite preliminary talks, Olney finds a Padres extension for Adrian Gonzalez to be "very, very unlikely." The Dodgers "are in the chase" for free agent starter Joel Pineiro, with the Angels and Mets other suitors. The Dodgers were first linked to Pi...

The latest from Buster Olney's ESPN blog... Despite preliminary talks, Olney finds a Padres extension for Adrian Gonzalez to be "very, very unlikely." The Dodgers "are in the chase" for free agent starter Joel Pineiro, with the Angels and Mets other suitors. The Dodgers were first linked to Pi...

@richard
I suppose it comes down to how you want to define "holes".
The Giants will probably be below league average at catcher, SS, 3B, and all three OF positions.
1B = Sandoval - above avg of course
2B = Sanchez - at or slightly above avg
3B is debatable with DeRosa.
I think that's what he was getting at.

Barrettman - The Dodgers wouldn't give up Kemp for Tim Lincecum, much less Carlos Zambrano and his fat contract.
I'd imagine the Cubs would eat 90% of Z's contract to acquire Kemp, but that Colletti would laugh Hendry off the phone.

THURSDAY, 8:23am: Hendry tells Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune that Zambrano is likely to return to the Cubs next year: "I fully expect him to come back in 2010 and pitch like the old Big Z." WEDNESDAY, 9:56am: The availability of Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano is in question. Zambrano, 28, ...

8:18pm: In a follow-up story on ESPN.com, Olney reports that the Cardinals are increasingly optimistic that they will be able to sign Holliday. 6:01pm: After the Mets reached an agreement with Jason Bay earlier today, Matt Holliday stands as the only elite hitter remaining on the free agent mark...

8:18pm: In a follow-up story on ESPN.com, Olney reports that the Cardinals are increasingly optimistic that they will be able to sign Holliday. 6:01pm: After the Mets reached an agreement with Jason Bay earlier today, Matt Holliday stands as the only elite hitter remaining on the free agent mark...

The Boston Red Sox are still involved in discussions for Adrian Beltre, according to Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com. Edes notes that a couple factors stand in the way of Beltre signing with the Red Sox. The club no longer has as convenient an opening at third base, after the Mike Lowell trade wit...

Holliday to Boston and then Ellsbury, Buchholz, and a couple prospects to San Diego for Gonzalez? I'm not a Red Sox fan, but that would make for quite an offseason.
Just not sure I see Boston approaching a $185 million payroll.

8:18pm: In a follow-up story on ESPN.com, Olney reports that the Cardinals are increasingly optimistic that they will be able to sign Holliday. 6:01pm: After the Mets reached an agreement with Jason Bay earlier today, Matt Holliday stands as the only elite hitter remaining on the free agent mark...

The Boston Red Sox are still involved in discussions for Adrian Beltre, according to Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com. Edes notes that a couple factors stand in the way of Beltre signing with the Red Sox. The club no longer has as convenient an opening at third base, after the Mike Lowell trade wit...

Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News has Giants notes after a conference call with Brian Sabean and newly-signed Mark DeRosa. DeRosa explained that he was "tired of being a lot of teams' Plan B." Sabean hopes to add another hitter, and has free agent offers on the table. One offer is t...

$6 million a year for a soon-to-be (Feb) 35 year-old coming off wrist surgery?
Another great move by Brian Sabean.
Did I mention the sub-.200 avg in September or the rapidly declining defense (-8.7 UZR/150)?

The Giants signed Mark DeRosa to a two-year, $12MM deal today. SI's Jon Heyman tweeted news of the offer on December 23rd, and ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted that day that DeRosa was leaning toward accepting. Yesterday, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports said a two-year deal was close. Following that, ...

"Yeah, and that santa thing was like 40 years ago. And he was a lame downgrade from what the Eagles promised to be a huge halftime show, so they were mad it was just him. And wasn't he drunk anyway?"
A drunk Santa in Philly. Go figure.

The Nationals agreed to terms on minor league deals with infielder Eric Bruntlett and first baseman Josh Whitesell, according to a team press release. Bruntlett, 32 in March, was acquired by the Phillies in November of '07 along with Brad Lidge. Bruntlett hit .171/.224/.238 in 118 plate appeara...

Free agent deals this offseason have totaled about $400MM so far, according to ESPN's free agent tracker. The offseason is young - by our count, almost 200 notable free agents remain unsigned. Before the signings pick up again, let's discuss the best and worst so far. Worst Signings Placido P...